Friday, January 25, 2013

"LISTEN DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET" beatles

Went to an open forum at Harvey High School last night concerning the hiring of a new Superintendent for Painesville City Schools. I believe the meeting was asked for by Tosche Coffee.

Many School issues were brought up and cleared up some of the "little birdie' issues mentioned on this blog.

First off a parent complained about the actions of the seventh grade basketball coach including dropping the "F' bomb. Not saying it's right I wonder how many coaches haven't done that. Something to remember when a coach stops screaming at you that just might mean he has given up on you. I don't condone this action  only that it happens.

Next the allegations concerning the cafeteria employee. A person alleges that she walked into the administration office with her attorney and wanted to resign instead of being terminated, or she would implicate higher ups in the administration who I guess I am to believe had some involvement? Also as early as 2006 a photo of this person removing shrimp from the Harvey cafeteria was sent to the administration and no action was taken.( They serve shrimp at the high school cafeteria?) The two board members claimed the state audit was  turned over to the county prosecutor to recover the $1700.00 funds. Yet no criminal prosecution will be asked for? I beg to ask why. What deal was struck?
If this was your business it would be your choice to just ask for restitution, It's not the administration or even the boards business. It belongs to the people of Painesville. I will seek time with the prosecutor office to see why this isn't a criminal matter. An attorney I know claims I might be surprised by  the answer I get. We will see. It's hard for me to believe that all this all started this past year.

The assistant principal removal at Harvey. One mother got up and claimed her daughter came home from school years ago with the statement  "I will never be left alone in a room with that man again "
That sorta opened the flood gates. Now the board members claim he was given the choice to resign or face termination. This along with the then principal Ms. Martin  going to Dr. Hanlon with her concerns atleast three times  about the actions alleged by the assistant principal. Yet I questioned why she would give this person a good evaluation?
Another member in attendance claims a professional social worker sent email's  to the administration as well as all member's on the board at that time stating her concerns. Before a police investigation started on the matter. My own belief this story is not over.

Someone keeps emailing the blog. concerning the principal and the athletic director seems Harvey boys basketball team will have to forfeit the two wins this year due to player(s) ineligibility last I knew that was the athletic directors job. Why the conflict I have no idea.

To end all seemed happy to see the changes made at Harvey by the new principal as well as the thoughts of all that Dr. Hanlon has overstayed his welcome.

Most people want a new superintendent to come from outside the district, a person with no ties. As well as someone who will be expected to be transparent concerning issues of the district.
I for one hope they hire someone who doesn't start applying for a new job as soon as he or she starts here. This along with the board decision to constantly sweetening the job to stay here. They look ridiculous when they do this.

To Dr. Hanlons credit we the residents, parents of the school system have let this secrecy and sweeping things under the rug to go on. We must understand we are also responsible to some degree.
Teachers should also not fear the administration as well as the school board.
I'd like to believe we can have a school system open and sharing with the board, administrators, teachers, parent's and students as well as the community.
new building hardly make a successful school system.

31 Comments:

At January 25, 2013 at 11:11 AM , Blogger Jim said...

I don't follow the school issues very closely (maybe I should) but once again, thanx for writing about them.

 
At January 25, 2013 at 1:34 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

Maybe you should, remember your footing the bill.

 
At January 25, 2013 at 3:34 PM , Blogger Sandy Miller said...

I don't know who called the meeting but they should be commended. With so much information coming forward I really think Mr Powers and Mr Tackett should be applauded for hanging in there. It was really good to hear about the search for a super. And other frustrations, on both sides. They were open and tried to answer question to best of their ability. It's a start and hopefully there will be more. Wish Mr Dillard and Mr Kalb had been there.

Wish we would have gotten everybody's name to do this again, seems like it could be the beginning for residents to support the schools, or at least have an open forum, something we desperately need.

 
At January 25, 2013 at 7:06 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks Thomas for pointing out the difference between Terminators original post and his answers. Now his grammar is terrible here too.
I think like you, he had a ghost writer till you called him on it.

 
At January 25, 2013 at 8:24 PM , Anonymous S**T HAPPENS said...

Thomas, then maybe he's just screwing around with you?

 
At January 26, 2013 at 7:10 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tax Payers,

Are you going to sit on your hands and let someone, former service director, steal from you? Are you going to sit on your hands while the school board let's this person resign with full benefits? In any other work place this person would have been fired!!! What is the school board trying to hide?

Is there a cover up as was indicated during the community meeting?

Shame on all of you if you do not take a stand!!!!!

 
At January 26, 2013 at 10:06 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

7:10 I didn't see a cover-up as much as, let's be done with this as fast and easy as we can.
I also believe this person should stand trial. If you don't set some kind of expected consequences. Then let the person keep her PERS your just asking for trouble.

 
At January 26, 2013 at 10:14 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Was this meeting advertised. I think employees should have been invited and included. I have worked in the district for a long time and I can tell you from many years of experience with this school board and superintendent that they always ask for our input, but then totally disregard any of our ideas when makin a decision. If pattern continues. We will have no input on hiring our new superintendent and the board will do whatever they want.

 
At January 26, 2013 at 11:53 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Best believe everyone will know about the next meeting!!!!

 
At January 26, 2013 at 11:57 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

10:14 I learned about from a text on my phone. Many others told me it was on facebook. In the future I will do everything to possible let you know when a meeting is schedule.
I believe things are going to be different. Mr. Costell, Mr. Tackett, and Mr. Powers truly want community as well as staff input into making this system work for all of us.
I ask if you your on the board and you looked for input for a new superintendent and 4 or 5 people showed up I would get the impression that no one really cared who they hired.
Meeting will be posted in advance on here as well as I expect them to be on the school website.

 
At January 26, 2013 at 3:15 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

There are many many issues with the schools that need to be addressed. Not sure that there is enough time to make all the corrections necessary to produce a system that is able to education all children. We presently have nearly half of the kindergarten population that entered school not ready to learn this year. Even with the administration knowing this information, there are no plans to correct this situation so it doesn't happen next year. We have the "One Shoe Fits All" approach to teaching. We have 4th and 5th graders being taught as if they are middle schoolers. We have a group of very angry teachers that don't like where they are, who they teach, and what additional they my be asked to do. Because of Sandy Hook any of the fun activities that involved parents coming to school are pretty much gone. I could continue with all that our family experiences and most of it is not good. Good luck with such meetings.

 
At January 26, 2013 at 3:44 PM , Anonymous Thats a Shame said...

I agree with 10:14, how and when was this meeting announced. I too knew nothing about it. I work for the district. Unlike Mr. Term I do not have facebook nor receive texts lest an emergency.

 
At January 27, 2013 at 6:12 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

The meeting was requested by the same group of concerned paents and community members who have continued to hold Hanlon's feet to the fire.

Term has neglected to post my last message. Which said, I will personally insure the next meeting is well publicized. We need people to make a change.

Also, please be at he next board meeting.

 
At January 27, 2013 at 10:07 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

6:12 Are you talking about the comment on 01/26/12 at11:53?

 
At January 27, 2013 at 10:34 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Term, shame on you we will cut your salary with at 10% pay cut. IMMEDIATELY !!!!

 
At January 27, 2013 at 1:22 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

They need to check all past records of the non-class. husband and wife team that are now retired from the schools (one worked in food service and the other at the maintenance/bus/outside dept,)
They also worked on fundraisers,
They got a lot of money from that.

 
At January 28, 2013 at 8:06 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

As I promised I called the Lake County Prosecutors office with question concerning the food service case. As of 01/28/12 they have not received anything from anybody. Then I spoke with Dr. Hanlon and he said if its to be a crimminal or civil case it would be left to the courts to decide. Dr. Hanlon mentioned all information was set to Painesville Municipal Court. Called Painesville Muni Court, they showed no record of a crimminal or civil case?
I guess I might check with the Lake County Probate Court but presently I have no clue whats going on.
I believe we need more inquiring minds?
It is important that we not only recover the stolen funds but some form of punishment for this alleged crime also.
Schools are a place of learning and teaching.
What are we teaching our students besides don't get caught?
Just resign if you get caught that's the only consequence?

 
At January 28, 2013 at 5:12 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

I know of nothing going on at the local credit union. You can't make accusations unless facts are known.
I was told it was standard operating procedure to have auditors come in when there is a change of command?

 
At January 29, 2013 at 6:20 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

So as far as the school thief matter what should we do? Seems a deal was cut and has left all of us wondering.

 
At January 29, 2013 at 7:19 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Term, you hit the nail on the head when you said "we need more inquiring minds". The whole School System is upsidedown. Remember this is the same school system that allowed students to skip disciplinary detention time if they brought in a can of food!!! What are we teaching our students??

 
At January 29, 2013 at 7:45 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

What are we teaching these students?
We now have a principal at Harvey that is showing student's what discipline is.
Yet where is the disipline in this administration?

If a student was caught stealing from the school I'm willing to bet he would be procecuted.
Staff resigns and you keep your benefits? Just pay back the money we can prove is missing?
I believe the administration as well as the board should asked what deal if any was made.
I guess in school think. If we got the money back were fine.
Now some staff, voter's and taxpayer's might see all this in a different manor.
Let's hope so.

 
At January 29, 2013 at 2:36 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Harvey basketball forfeits 2 games. Principal says it was an oversight. Once again, no accountability For the administrators to perform their core responsibilities. This situation is similar to a student no doing their homework.....there should be consequences!!!

 
At January 29, 2013 at 3:10 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

I will check on those names. I haven't a clue either.

 
At January 29, 2013 at 3:18 PM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

2:36 An oversight by who?
We could blame the Principal, Athletic Director, Coach, Teacher who?

Here's a wild idea the student athlete must of had a clue he was failing yet what is this more of if I don't get caught its O.K.?
Wonder where a student might come up with that kind of thinking?

 
At January 29, 2013 at 7:32 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Term, get your facts straight, he didn't have enough freaking credits to be able to play. Howvin the heck can a sophomore not have enough credits? How can the AD not know for half a season that this kid doesnt have enough credits? Again, administrators not doing their jobs, not being held accountable and continuing to make excuses. How can we hold students to a high standard when our administrators can operate ti a minimum standard. Painesville City scoops are an embarrassment!!!

 
At January 29, 2013 at 8:40 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

When is the next meeting?

 
At January 30, 2013 at 5:20 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

7:32 Yes in the end it is the AD responsibility. You must realize that somehow the sophomore must have known something was wrong? I'm not blaming the student but as you stated we seem to have different standards.
Yes the embarrassments must stop.
I feal bad for the student as well as the rest of the team.

 
At January 30, 2013 at 11:30 AM , Anonymous Patiently waiting said...

7:32 I understand that the AD shares some responsibility, but in my opinion more of that responsibility should rest on the coach's shoulders. However, like 3:18 implied, how do you not know if you have enough credits or not? My son goes there and he knows exactly how many credits he has. We need to quit looking to point a finger at someone and exercise some personal accountability.
There are problems with the school system but no one tries to find solutions, we just keep going over the problem(s) again with a louder voice each time. Don't get me wrong, up until recently I had never been to a school board meeting. But I go now and I want to help facilitate a change. Do you?

 
At January 30, 2013 at 11:47 AM , Anonymous TERM>> said...

Patienty. I believe your 100% right.
Constantly parent's are told to make their children responsible for their actions and the importance of school.
Parent's must constantly keep a virgil eye on the actions of the administration as well as the board.
In defense of the coach, I believe this is first year at Harvey.
We also need more like yourself.
Most don't realize it but this is the most important business in Painesville.
Read the story sent to us from Galion, as well as other communities all have problems and the only ones that can really solve them.

 
At February 1, 2013 at 6:18 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

When my son was at HHS years ago, a star wrestler was caught doing drugs in the back of the science lab. What happened? Nothing! Why? STAR Wrestler headed to state.
And yes, there may be an audit after a change of command. BUT there were auditors in, told board members to give an ultimatum: resign, retire or be fired. She was gone and chose retire. Now, if you haven't done anyting wrong---why give someone that choice? Now she rests at home collecting a retirement benefit same as the schools cafeteria might.

 
At February 1, 2013 at 10:09 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I worked with this program about 6 years ago as a coach. There was a secretary devoted to the AD. She kept all the records it was amazing! We had lists that went out to tell us when a students was in danger with their grades/credit. No student that didn't have enough credits ever got by. All transfer records were checked. Some of this information has to come from the guidance dept on the number of credits a student has so this maybe the down fall. Again there use to be a GREAT guidance dept. that also was on their toes. The present principals both ex-coaches should have been asking questions about the status of EVERY student playing sports. This is just another example of what is missing in PCLS. Wait until you find out how many won't graduate because they lack the proper credits. Again, this is the guidance dept. job to work with students and families to make sure everything remains in order.

 

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